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Thursday, April 21, 2011

A Brief History of Cascarones

At the insistence of una amiga, I finally got my act together and helped my kids make cascarones. To be honest, it was our first time to do so.

And since I promised to go over and post a picture of our finished creations on Thoughts of a Mommy's FB page (She is collecting pictures! Go post yours over there!!), I couldn't do that without first sharing them with you.

But before I do, I want to be sure and share with you the history of cascarones (thank you, Claudia, for asking me to do so!) because it is very interesting.

What Are Cascarones?

First off, in case you don't know, cascarones are brightly colored/decorated eggshells that are filled with confetti. They may be simply made by children or elaborate, hand-painted masterpieces by artists. Here in the States, they are used during celebrations, typically around Easter. In Mexico, they are popular during the time of Carnaval. But really, people may use them during any festive occasion.

Where Did They Come From?

According to historians, cascarones originated in China. It is rumored that Marco Polo first brought them to Italy, and on to Spain, and they eventually made their way to the Americas. In the beginning, the eggs were quite elegant and valuable; instead of confetti, they were filled with perfumed powders, making them popular with high-society women.

They became quite popular in Mexico in the 1860s, after Emperor Maximiliano's wife, Carlotta, introduced them to the country. In Mexico, the powders were replaced with confetti and given their name "cascarones," the plural form of "cáscara," which means shell in Spanish.

Today, the tradition of making and using cascarones to celebrate is mostly popular in the Southwestern United States, though areas of Mexico still use them. Many say that good fortune falls upon the person who has un cascarón cracked over their head - and smashing one on someone's head is actually a sign of affection. Young adults often use them to engage in mild flirtation.

Bring back memories of my birthday parties in Mexico. I also remember being One cascaron filled with flour ... So everyone was on edge when they had a cascaron smashed on their head dreading it would be the one with flour.